It’s no mystery to homeowners that your home’s major systems require routine maintenance. Your home is your biggest investment and should be protected as such. For the safety and well-being of your family, an annual furnace inspection should be high on the maintenance priority list, especially if you have a gas-powered furnace.
Gas furnaces operate by combusting natural gas, so it’s important that they’re operating as safely and efficiently as possible. Although they’re rare, when gas leaks occur, they can be fatal.
The expertise of a professional HVAC company is necessary to service your furnace along with any other home heating services you may need. But there are some general things you can do to help ensure your furnace is running as it should. Follow this safety checklist to learn the things you can do.
Strange Noises
A furnace should make very little noise when it runs. Other than the noise of it turning on and off and the sound of air flowing from its vents, unusual noises are usually a cry for help. If you hear your furnace making noises such as screeching, hissing, rattling, and rumbling, call for furnace repairs as soon as possible. Although it could be something simple, it could also indicate a safety issue such as a crack in the system that is causing a gas leak.
Foul Odors
Along with the potential sounds of a gas leak, be aware of any unusual smells coming from your furnace. If you smell natural gas, sulfur, or rotten eggs, turn off your system and call for help. Other unusual smells include the scent of something burning, mold, sewer, or pet smells. It’s normal to detect the scent of burning dust when you turn your furnace on for the first time, but if any unusual smells persist, you should have it checked out.
Change the Air Filter
This is one of the easiest things that homeowners can do to help their furnaces run smoothly and efficiently. A dirty air filter is not only bad for your indoor air quality, but all that dust, dirt, and dander impede the efficacy of your furnace. It’ll have to work harder to produce warm air, and when it has to work harder, it’ll wear down sooner. Air filters are an easy way to protect the longevity of your furnace.
Keep the Surrounding Area Clean
We know this sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many homeowners neglect this basic safety measure. Keep the area around your furnace free of any debris, furniture, or storage boxes with a minimum of a two-foot radius. When you surround your furnace with storage items, they act as an insulator and your furnace could start overheating. All that stuff can also inhibit the airflow which can cause a multitude of problems. Keep the area around your furnace empty and dust-free.
Leave Routine Maintenance to the Professionals
We make annual furnace maintenance easy for our customers. When we come to your home, we conduct a thorough inspection and tune-up for the heating system that includes cleaning and adjusting the burner assembly, cleaning the ignition assembly, monitoring the flue draft, testing starting capabilities, checking safety controls, cleaning and adjusting blower components, checking for gas leaks, and more.
Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning serves Colorado Springs and the surrounding area. Call us for home heating services.
